


It Had to be You

by Daretodream66



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassination Attempt(s), BAMF Phil Coulson, First Son Bucky Barnes, M/M, SHIELD Agent Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 14:10:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20390992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daretodream66/pseuds/Daretodream66
Summary: President George Barnes asks highly decorated SHIELD agent Steve Rogers to take on leading his son's detail when an assassination attempt happens.  Steve is prepared for anything, until he sees Bucky.





	It Had to be You

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on a posting high right now. I have too many fics just sitting around so I'm cleaning them up and posting.

“Can someone explain to me, in small words, why I’m being assigned to this mission?”

Sam snorts and Natasha cackles in her seat across the table. Fury looks at Steve and sighs. He knew that Steve was going to take offense to this, but he is at the end of his rope. When the Secret Service comes to SHIELD and asks for help, it’s serious and deserves the attention of their best agent. “Because you are the only one on the team that can handle this detail and we are out of options.”

Steve rolls his eyes so hard they nearly pop out of his head. “Can I just voice my issues with this?”

“NO!” It comes from everyone in the room. Fury slides the file over to him and walks out of the room. Sam and Nat may not know what’s in the file, but they also know that Fury doesn’t do anything without good cause.

When Steve joined SHIELD he didn’t think he’d be babysitting for the first son, especially since said son is 25. For the president, sure, but with the amount of training and in the field experience he has, this should not be what he’s used for. He mumbles all the way out of the room, thumbs through the file and heads down to the conference room three floors below where he knows that his new charge is waiting. Nothing in the file stands out, it’s everything the general population knows. There is a page that makes Steve pause to look closer. This is not something the general population knows. Huh…

Exiting the elevator, the halls are lined with Secret Service Agents and that makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Maybe one or two could be understandable, but not an entire unit. Agent May is at the door opening it for him and whispers, “Good luck.”

Steve shivers because he knows. Stepping into the room he comes face to face with President George Barnes. “Ah, Agent Rogers, it’s nice to meet you.”

Steve takes a deep breath and takes the offered hand. “Mr. President, I wasn’t expecting you in this meeting.”

President Barnes chuckles. “I’m sure you weren’t, but I think it’s necessary.” He nods at the other agents in the room and they exit. 

Steve hears the click of the door closing. A chair at the end of the conference table spins around and holy shit is Steve in trouble. Pictures of James Barnes are everywhere, so Steve’s seen him, but not in person. In person it’s like looking at an angel that’s graced the room with his presence. “Mr. Barnes, I’m Agent Rogers. I’ll be taking over your detail.”

James Buchannan Barnes stands slowly and strides over to Steve, hand out and a genuine smile on his face. The President shoots his son a worried look which Steve doesn’t miss, but has no context for. “Then I’m sorry you have to be here.” Steve cocks his head to the side. James chuckles, not unlike his father. “I understand that you have entirely too much experience to be saddled with me, so thank you ahead of time.”

Steve smiles. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad.” Steve is struck dumb by the smile and the way it makes the young man’s eyes crinkle at the corners and his eyes light with a fire that is much too distracting for Steve’s comfort.

President Barnes clears his throat looking amused. “Perhaps we should sit so we can talk about what brings you here.” Steve is more confused since he‘s holding the file in his hand.

They sit and the President slides another file across the table. Steve opens it and the more he reads the wider his eyes get. “Sir, why didn’t Director Fury have all of this?”

The President wrings his hands and James looks pale. “I asked him not to make it common knowledge. You see Agent Rogers, you aren’t here to babysit, you’re here to save my son’s life.”

Steve looks over at Mr. Barnes junior. “Are you okay?” Steve scans his upper body for signs of the injury.

“I’ve been better, but that said, I’m okay.” Steve can see it now, they way he sits in the chair and favors the left side of his body. Whoever did this, they meant to kill him. Steve has seen men with injuries similar and knows half of them died from those injuries. That says a lot about James Barnes.

“How did you keep this quiet, sir?” Steve turns his attention back to the President.

“It happened in the hotel in Paris, so we were able to contain the story. The wounds were treated in Paris. You’ll see that my son was taken out service elevators and halls were cleared so there weren’t any witnesses. Security feeds were wiped and hard drives removed from the hotel.” Steve nods. “Agent Rogers, I take my job very seriously, but one thing that will always be more important than this job, is my family.” Steve sees the honesty of the man’s statement. He thinks that his ma would have liked this man, respected him even. “If anything happens to one of my kids…” He stops, swallowing. “I don’t know if I could keep doing this job.”

James leans over the table, taking his father’s hand. “Pop, I’m okay.” There’s obvious affection between these two and Steve admires that. Never having had a father figure in his life, Steve admires any man that puts his family first. According to his ma, his pop was the same, but war took him away and he never returned.

The President shakes his head. “But you almost weren’t. Bucky, they can attack me all they want, but they almost took you from your mother and me. Can you understand why we need someone like Agent Rogers looking after you?” Steve gives a barely there smile to the use of the first son’s nickname.

James looks hard at his father then at Steve. “Yeah, I can and I’ll do everything he tells me to do, but I don’t have to like this extra detail and I’m sure that Agent Rogers has many other things he’d rather be doing.” There’s mischief in his eyes that Steve could get lost in. Holy fucking hell, Steve has got to get his shit together.

Steve huffs a quiet laugh. “I don’t know about that. This seems pretty important.” Then he grins, remembering something from his childhood. “As my ma used to say, ‘I’m with you ‘til the end of the line,’ Mr. Barnes.”

President Barnes barks a laugh, making his son laugh too. “Your ma sounds like a great woman.”

“She was my hero.” Both the President and James don’t miss the past tense of his words.

The first week with James is simply getting him back and forth to therapy sessions and doctor’s appointments. Steve notices on therapy days he seems almost more tired than on doctor visit days. Every night he watches Mr. Barnes write in a journal. On the third night James looks up smiling. “My therapist insists that I write down everything I can remember and any dreams I’m having. She says that like it or not, I’m suffering from PTSD.”

Steve nods. “So do I and most of the people I work with.”

Barnes takes a deep breath. “Does it get better? These nightmares are almost more than I can take.”

Steve sits in the chair across from the desk. “It does get easier to deal with, but it’s always going to be a part of who you are now.”

Leaning back in the desk chair, Barnes stares at the ceiling. “I just wish I could remember more about that night, but it’s all fuzzy.”

Steve watches the way he seems to drift into thought. “Don’t try to force anything. That’s not how trauma works.”

Barnes nods then gets up to go to bed. Steve follows him up, checking the windows and line of sight in the master bedroom. It seems to calm the man some since Steve started doing it. Smiling softly, Mr. Barnes bids him goodnight and Steve goes back downstairs to go over the files again.

In the mornings Mr. Barnes does his best to run on a treadmill set up in a downstairs office and Steve keeps a close eye on him. When James starts to seem lethargic, Steve steps in reminding him to slow down. James grumbles, but does as Steve suggests. Steve’s suffered enough injuries to know when a body is being pushed too hard. It’s the fact that Mr. Barnes is still fighting to get better. That’s what Steve admires.

After the first few days, Steve moves his things into a bedroom across the hall from James, at the insistence of the man. At night, before going to bed, Steve looks in on his charge. In all cases of security like this, Steve and his team would be in a security station somewhere else on the property, but at the insistence of Mr. Barnes and his father, Steve is assigned a room in the house. It wouldn’t normally be an issue, but Steve finds himself checking on Mr. Barnes more than once during the night.

Sometimes he just stands in the doorway, watching the man sleep. It isn’t just one thing about him that draws Steve into his orbit, but it’s the combination of things that Steve’s read or observed. He’s a good man, the kind that Steve would normally ask out, date, and move in with, but he can’t feel those things for a charge. So, Steve makes sure to keep that wall of professionalism up by only calling him Mr. Barnes. Even inside his own mind, he’s always Mr. Barnes.

Most nights, James is sitting up in bed reading through files and most of the time, he’s shirtless. The wounds are healing, but still red and the one on his side is still covered by a bandage. Most nights, Steve shakes his head because the man should be dead and Steve’s sure that the man’s father knows that. Each night Steve has to school his face to say his good nights after checking the windows.

On one particular night Steve bursts into the room when he hears Mr. Barnes cry out; only to find him in the throes of a nightmare. He tries to wake him gently from the door, but when that doesn’t work, he goes to the bed. That is a mistake. When the young man wakes he throws himself into Steve’s arms. That’s when the agent realizes that he’s not wearing a shirt and neither is Mr. Barnes. The man burrows into Steve’s chest and just holds on. The following day, he apologizes repeatedly.

By the end of the first week, Steve is sure that he’s in trouble. He’s watched James with the other agents and there’s a comfort level that makes the seasoned agent smile. He’s not sure why James and Agent Coulson seem so close, but there is a strong friendship there. He finds out at the end of that first week that Agent Coulson has been with James since his father won the nomination. The Maximoff twins also enter and leave the house like old friends. It makes Steve happy to see these relationships and finds himself liking all of the Secret Service agents on the detail.

When they go out during the day to walk the neighborhood, James talks with his neighbors and on one memorable occasion, sits in the middle of the sidewalk so he can play with his neighbor’s dog. He’s a brown and white mutt that seems to know James and love him. The dog’s owner laughs with Barnes in a way that says they’ve known each other for years. It could just be James though; he seems to have that affect on people.

“I’ve always wanted a dog and a cat, but my sister was allergic.” He’s sitting one evening at the beginning of the second week with Steve in the living room.

“Why don’t you have them now?” Steve sits the file he’s going over down.

“Never seemed like the right time. You know, when dad decided to run, I was going to be away from home all the time. That would have been unfair, but maybe now I could.” He seems contemplative, so Steve leaves him to his thoughts and goes back to reading. But unfortunately, he finds his mind wandering to James playing outside with a dog and cuddled up on the sofa with a cat. When he sees himself come in, leaning over the sofa to plant a kiss on the top of the man’s head, he has to take a breath and stop. Shaking himself out of a daydream about events that can never happen. He then chastises himself for thinking James instead of Mr. Barnes.

The following morning, after spending days going through the reports with a fine tooth comb, he comes to the conclusion that this was an attempt by a home grown gunman. The silencer used was purchased in Paris, but the gun was an American made not available in France. After looking over the rifling on the bullets pulled from James in Paris, Steve can also tell that the gunman cares for his weapons. That means that he probably has training of some kind. To get a gun out of the country and into another, that has very strict gun laws, the gunman has to have connections around the world. Not to mention the gunman had to alter the silencer to fit the gun. Maybe mercenary or active military.

“How do you know?” Mr. Barnes leans over his shoulder reading the notes that Steve is making. Steve jumps. “You know for a highly trained and decorated agent you are easy to sneak up on.” Mr. Barnes is smirking the kind of smile that Steve’s ma would have called rakish. It’s a good look on him.

“Well I happen to know that you and I are the only ones in the house right now, so I wasn’t expecting an attack.” Steve chuckles as Mr. Barnes rolls his eyes. “Mr. Barnes, aren’t you supposed to be working for another,” Steve looks up at the clock. “hour and forty-five minutes?”

“Are you going to keep calling me Mr. Barnes?” He sits carefully in a chair by the window. “And I got bored with the research and needed to walk away before I knocked myself out using my desk.” Steve chuckles.

“You are my charge and it’s respectful. My ma would tan my hide if she knew I wasn’t treating you with anything but respect.” Steve glances at the front door knowing that Agent Coulson is supposed to be coming in about now.”

Mr. Barnes watches Steve watching the door and sure enough, Coulson enters carrying another file. “Agent Rogers, I have that file you wanted.” The older agent smiled openly at Steve.

Mr. Barnes has a strange look on his face and Steve wants to ask, but doesn’t. “Thanks Agent Coulson. How did the perimeter look this morning?” Coulson was not only a good agent, but very personable. Steve liked him immediately when they first met and the longer they were working together, the more he liked his attention to detail and ability to read a situation. Just hopefully not Steve’s current and very unprofessional feelings about his charge.

“Same as yesterday, clear and pristine.” Steve laughs and Coulson beams at him. Coulson leaves through the side door to do the afternoon sweep.

After the door clicks closed, Mr. Barnes gets up to get coffee. “I think he has a crush on you.”

Steve chokes on the sip of coffee he just took. “What?!”

He comes back into the room. “I’m serious. The way he looks at you is blush worthy. It’s either a crush or serious hero worship.”

Steve laughs even harder. “Well, you go ahead and tell his wife that. Agent May is scarier than my ma when she dealt with doctors that were bullies.”

Mr. Barnes stops. “Wait! His wife is Agent May?” Steve nods. “My dad’s lead agent?” Steve nods again. “I guess opposites do attract.” Steve looks puzzled and Mr. Barnes snorts. It’s the cutest damn thing that Steve’s ever heard. “Come on, Coulson is the most personable guy I’ve ever met and May is scary as fuck.”

A few days later, Steve is cooking breakfast when Mr. Barnes comes down. He’s sleep rumpled and it makes Steve’s heart beat double time. “Uh…are you supposed to be doing that? Don’t I have a cook for that?”

Steve grins and flips a pancake onto a waiting plate. “She called out this morning, her daughter is sick, and since my ma would not let me leave home without knowing how to cook, I figured I’d step up.”

Steve puts the plate in front of his charge and goes back to finish cooking. Mr. Barnes hums around the first bite causing Steve’s back to stiffen at the sound. He’s got to get a handle on this infatuation with a man that is unattainable. Steve is also aware of how domestic this situation feels and that is something he can’t get caught in. “You were up late going through the files. Anything new jump out at you?”

Steve sighs and sits across from the young man, taking a bite and thinking about his next words. He really doesn’t want to do this so early in the morning. Hell, he doesn’t want to do this at all, but someone has to and it’s his job to keep this man safe. He’d originally not looked through any of the personal files on James Buchannan Barnes because he didn’t want to color his objectivity on the investigation, but last night, he finally cracked open everything the agency had on the man. It was well covered, but Steve managed to parse together James’s dating history. Adding in what he saw in the file the day they were introduced, he knows he understands the situation, but that isn’t the same as talking it through with the man across the table. Now he just needs the man to fill in the blanks or rather details. “I need to ask you a few questions and I want you to know that I’m not judging, I just need to know.”

James nods, taking another bite, but with a look in his eyes like he knows what’s coming. “Shoot.” He grimaces. “That was a bad choice of words. Sorry.”

Steve barks a laugh. “It’s okay.” He’s flustered, but needs to push through this. “So, I think whoever this is, they know you.” James’ eyes shoot up. “The security footage from the hotel shows one man. He knows where all the cameras are and avoids having his face show. That means he’s been there before whether to gather surveillance or as a guest. He also knows exactly where you’re going to be and at what time. Mr. Barnes, he knows you and your routines even away in a foreign country. Indicating that he knows your personal habits.” He’s trying to say it without saying it.

Something about this attack feels personal to Steve and something else keeps niggling at the back of Steve’s mind. James puts his fork down, folding his hands on the tabletop. “Ask what you want to ask, agent.” He knows what Steve wants, but he’s going to make the agent say it anyway. The man is a shit and Steve lov…likes it.

“Could this be _personal_, sir?” Steve tries to be professional, but what he really wants is to reach across the table and comfort the young man. He tamps that down as quickly as it rears up.

“Are you asking if I’m gay, agent?” James won’t meet his eyes.

“I don’t give a good goddamn if you are gay, Mr. Barnes.” The man’s eyes fly to Steve’s. “I want to catch this guy and everything, for me, keeps coming back to someone that might know you better than just a hired assassin.”

Mr. Barnes bobs his head up and down. “I am gay and I didn’t see the guy’s face, but I keep having dreams and there’s something familiar about him.”

“Mr. Barnes,” Steve looks up and sees the pleading look. Steve caves. “_James_, I need you to tell me about anyone that you dated that didn’t end well.” The man takes a deep breath, picks his fork back up and starts telling Steve about every asshat that he quietly dated that still pushed for their fifteen minutes of fame.

Steve has really tried over the last couple of weeks to not notice things. James is caring, smart, funny and gorgeous. Steve listens to him talk to his father and mother over the phone. It’s obvious that it’s a close knit family. He’s watched as James skypes with his niece and nephew and how loving he is with them. Steve has remained a consummate professional, but that all nearly came crashing down a few nights ago.

James came out of his bathroom while Steve was doing a once over in his bedroom. Just his normal nightly check of windows and sight line, when James had come in wearing nothing but a towel. Steve had nearly choked on his own tongue. Even with the healing wounds, he’d been right out of Steve’s wet dreams. James had blushed furiously and tried to cover himself quickly, but not quick enough to Steve’s wandering eyes. And since then, Steve can’t seem to call him Mr. Barnes in his head without serious concentration.

A few weeks later, Steve is standing in the West Wing of the White House, ready to give a report to President Barnes and Director Fury. He thinks he’s ready anyway, but his sweaty palms tell him otherwise. The door to the Oval Office opens and a young man about 22 comes out. “Agent Rogers, you can go in.” Steve stands there, looking at the closed door a few minutes too long. The young man clears his throat. “First time going in?” Steve nods dumbly. “The first time is hard, but after that you get used to it.”

Steve doesn’t think that he’d ever get used to walking in and out of that room. Stepping forward, he turns the knob and steps in. “Agent, it’s good to see you.” Steve is immediately struck by the carpet with that seal glaring at him. He’s standing in the Oval Office of the White House. 

Steve takes his hand, shaking firmly. President Barnes is just as personable as before grinning at Steve like he knows the internal battle Steve is having. “It’s good to see you too, Mr. President.” The President indicates a chair and they sit. Fury doesn’t speak and just seems to hang back.

“Tell me what you’ve found.” The President appears eager, so Steve jumps right into the report he organized.

“Sir, I think the gunman is an ex of your son.” He hands the file over and gives the President time to look it over. Fury watches both of them and Steve knows he’s assessing the situation, but trusting that Steve knows his job.

“What does Bucky think of this?” Steve smiles at the nickname again. He tries refers to him at Mr. Barnes, but Bucky fits his so well. He wonders what it would be like to whisper that name into the man’s skin. Mentally shaking himself, he clears his throat.

“He thinks that it’s possible. He doesn’t remember much except the build of the man and that’s really just from the nightmares. That whole night and the days following are hazy at best. I’d like to locate _this_ man and bring him in for questioning.” Fury raises his eyebrow and Steve knows what he’s thinking. “You’ll see, sir, that according to all the normal avenues, Rumlow never left the country.”

The President looks up. “You don’t buy that, I take it.”

“No sir, with the military background that he has and his questionable employment now, that kind of thing is easily covered.” Fury takes the file from the President, looking over Steve’s work. It’s been almost six weeks since Steve started this assignment and he’s been diligent and meticulous with the files and information. Seeing James safe has become his number one priority.

“Do it and if it is him, can you two let me have five minutes alone with him before arresting him.” Steve chuckles. 

“I don’t have a problem with that, sir.” Fury, for the first time Steve can remember, quirks a smile.

Steve returns to the house in Georgetown and finds Coulson coming out of the house. He seems miffed. “Coulson?”

“Sir, Mr. Barnes is insisting on going out tonight.” Steve glares at the door. James has been exceptional about keeping to the house and grounds. The furthest he goes is around the neighborhood, but Steve’s seen him getting restless lately and knew that this kind of thing was eventually going to happen.

Storming into the foyer, Steve sees James coming down the stairs in tight, black jeans, which should be illegal and a v-neck tee-shirt that clings to his chest. “Agent Rogers, what are your plans for tonight because I want pizza.”

Steve continues to glare. “Mr. Barnes, we can order in.” Steve’s need to keep this man safe has gone beyond professional. Turning to look at Coulson, he can see that Steve is torn between professional and personal. Steve’s not sure when Coulson figured it out, but he’s been nothing but courteous and given Steve a wide berth on everything James Barnes.

James laughs and Steve’s breath hitches. He’s so beautiful it hurts. “Agent Rogers, I have been cooped up in this house for weeks and weeks and if I don’t get out of here, I’m going to go nuts.” He gives Steve sad puppy eyes and Coulson snorts. “Just pizza.” He does a cute little pout and Steve is sunk.

“Can you at least let me change? The other agents will be as normal, but I don’t want anyone to know what my role is.” 

As he jogs up the stairs he hears James. “Does that mean you’re going to act like my date? Because I support that idea 100%.”

Steve stops at the top of the stairs knowing that James is joking, but he supports that idea 100% too and for very unprofessional reasons. Hanging his head he gets out his phone and texts Sam. _‘I’m in a lot of trouble over here.’_

_Sam: Define trouble._

_Steve: I like this guy._

_Sam: You like him or you _like him _like him?_

_Steve: It’s bad Sam._

_Sam: Man, leave it to you to take an assignment and then fall for the guy. Have you lost your mind?_

_Steve: Yeah, I have._

Changing quickly, Steve is back downstairs in jeans and a tee with his leather jacket over it. James looks up smiling. “My, my Agent Rogers, you do dress down nice.”

Steve blushes. “For the purposes of this outing, you need to call me Steve.”

James gives an affirmative nod. “Then for the purposes of this outing, you will need to call me Bucky.”

Steve smiles. “Bucky.” Steve is an observant man normally, but he completely misses the dilation of Bucky’s eyes due to his need to cover his own issues.

Bucky takes his hand. “For show.” He opens the front door and pulls Steve into the setting sun. “Come on, Stevie, let’s get pizza.”

Yeah, Steve is most definitely screwed. And Coulson is enjoying this way too much. The other agents look at the joined hands and eyebrows go up, but no one says anything.

The next afternoon Steve makes his rounds of the back patio and yard. The Secret Service Agents give him a wide berth because they know his reputation, but they also see the look. Pulling out his phone, he makes a call to the only person that can set him straight. It rings twice before his best friend picks up. “Sam?”

“Hey Boy Scout, we all heard about the outing.” Sam sounds like he’s smiling, but when Steve doesn’t answer, the smile in his voice goes away. “Hey, is it really that bad?”

“Sam, I think I need some perspective.” Steve stands in the yard, rubbing his forehead.

“Talk to me, Steve.”

“He’s not what I expected and it’s getting…Sam, I think I need to be reassigned.” Steve turns back to look at the house and catches James staring at him through the upstairs bedroom window. Then he turns and walks away. Last night had been a disaster and Steve was to blame for it. “I think this could get really complicated, really fast.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

Steve just keeps staring up at the window where James had been. “I could fall for this guy, Sam, without even trying.” Steve knows that he’s already halfway there, but he doesn’t want to volunteer that to Sam.

Steve expects laughing or a hang up. “Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s been a long time for you. Is it so bad? I mean, it’s been a really long time.”

“Sam, this is my job and he’s…jesus…” Steve doesn’t even know how to put it into words, but he knows that Sam gets it.

“Gotcha. What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know.”

Their night out had been filled with conversation and laughing. Steve hasn’t enjoyed anything like that in such a long time. He’d even told Bucky about his ma and when he was a kid. Bucky hadn’t believed him, so Steve had pulled up Sam’s Instagram and shown him a picture that Sam had posted to embarrass Steve. They were juniors in high school and Steve barely came to Sam’s shoulders. Bucky had taken the phone and zoomed in on the picture.

Then he’d said something that Steve never expected. “You were beautiful.” Then Bucky had choked. “Geez, I’m sorry. You still are, but I would have been all over you the minute I saw you.” Steve didn’t respond because he didn’t know how and Bucky had taken it wrong. “Listen Agent Rogers, I know you aren’t gay and that was out of line and probably made you incredibly uncomfortable. I promise it won’t happen again.” The look of sadness in the other man’s eyes had sent Steve spiraling into his own head and insecurities. That’s where the evening had ended and Steve didn’t know how to correct him or if he should correct him.

After having talked to Sam, Steve had been distant with everyone during the day. He spent most of the time mentally beating himself up, until he had fallen asleep in the sitting room. Steve wakes slowly with a sore back and a headache having slept on the couch instead of in his bed. When he sits up, he checks his phone and sees that it’s well past the normal wakeup time. Slipping the ear piece in, he can hear the chatter of the agents outside. ‘Someone should be letting Rogers know about this.’ That’s Maximoff and the answering voice is her brother. ‘White wolf didn’t want us waking him and he’s the boss.’

Steve jumps up and goes to the front door. He notices that keys, wallet, and coat are missing, meaning that Barnes has left the house without him. Tapping the earpiece, he starts barking orders. “Whatever Wolf has told you to do, cease now and return to the house.”

He hears an ‘uh oh’ from the earwig, but within minutes a black SUV is pulling up in front of the house and a very angry Mr. Barnes is storming into the house. “What the fuck man? I wanted coffee and some time out.”

Steve steps into his space, but the man doesn’t cower. “Then you’ll wait for me. I was put here by your father and I’ll do my damn job whether you like it or not.” The anger at himself from that night and his cowardice, cause Steve to lash out. Just as the other man is about to answer, Steve’s phone starts ringing. Looking down, he sees that it’s Sam. “You don’t move.” Steve glowers at James and answers, turning his back to the younger man. “Sam, what’s up?” He puts it on speaker so he can take the call and watch his charge.

“Hey, just wanted to let you know that Natasha is coming. She’ll be there in about an hour. She said that you can take off because she’s got it.” Steve knows that he needs some perspective and leaving for the morning is probably a good idea. 

James’s face changes into hurt and betrayal. Steve hangs up, looking guiltily at Mr. Barnes. “What was that all about, Agent Rogers?”

“There’s another agent coming in an hour.” Now James just looks furious. He’s misunderstanding of the situation is evident, but before Steve can backtrack and explain it isn’t what James thinks he’s faced with a very angry man.

James looks at Coulson and the man quietly and quickly leaves the house. “So let me see if I have this straight. You were asked by my father to do this job and after not quite two months you’re leaving? What kind of asshole are you? Just because I commented on being attracted to you? Really Steve?” There’s fire in his words and Steve knows that Bucky thinks he’s leaving for good and he should set this straight, but then anger flares again because James thinks that Steve is some kind of homophobic douche.

Then he gets angry, but not at James more at himself for letting this whole thing get out of control. “I don’t think I’m being effective at this job.”

“And why the fuck not?” James is in his space, red faced and challenging.

“Because I could and probably am falling for you and that makes me a liability! And protecting you is all I want to do now!” Steve didn’t mean to say it and closes his eyes at how unprofessional he’s just been.

“You…you…wait…” James starts to reach out, but Steve backs away. He’s got to salvage this clusterfuck.

“I’m sorry sir, that was out of line and not something you need to deal with.” He starts to turn and James grabs his arm to stop him.

“What if I want you here?” He sounds small and broken. He’s still under the impression that Steve is being replaced.

“I’m trained to do a job and if my feelings get in the way I can’t do that job.” He turns back finally and sees that James’ eyes are red rimmed.

“What if I don’t want you here doing a job? Or just not only for a job.” Steve doesn’t know how this situation spiraled as fast as it did.

“Mr. Barnes…Bucky, what are you saying?” Bucky doesn’t look up immediately, when he does, Steve is surprised by the intensity of the gaze.

“I started falling for you when you quoted your ma when we met. It’s been hell the past weeks living in the same house with you and wanting you as bad as I do and not being able to do anything about it.” Bucky reaches up, cupping his cheek. “Stevie, don’t leave me.”

“Buck…how…I…” Few times in Steve’s life has he felt like something bigger than him could take over and rule his life, but never in Steve’s life has he felt so pulled to another person. Instead of saying anything else, he leans in and finally kisses this man. It’s warm and tender and oh so very right.

Pulling back so that they are still breathing in the other, Bucky whispers, “Steve.” And Steve’s brain goes off line, pulling Bucky in again and ravaging his mouth. 

When he finally does pull back, Bucky looks about as dazed as Steve feels. “When my ma died I decided that I wouldn’t let myself need anyone else.” Bucky pulls away just slightly and looks deeply at Steve. “I can’t help it though. I don’t want it, but I need you.”

Bucky looks crushed. “But you don’t want to.”

Steve shoulders slump. “That didn’t come out right. Being around you I feel vulnerable and that scares me, I thought it would make me weaker.”

Bucky smiles softly. “Steve, love doesn’t make you weak, ask my parents, it’s what keeps you going when you don’t think you can.”

The front door opens and Coulson lets Natasha in. They both freeze. Coulson is grinning and Nat is smirking. “Sam owes me dinner and a movie for this.” Steve looks horrified. “Don’t sweat it Rogers, no one is going to say anything.” She looks at Coulson, who nods.

They go over the intel on Rumlow and Steve explains that he wasn’t being replaced, just waiting for this delivery. Bucky looks relieved and leans over Steve to look at the report. Then Steve does take Bucky out for coffee. Nat just grins on her way out the door and Coulson keeps smiling like it’s the best thing that’s ever happened. 

At the coffee house, Steve buys the coffee while keeping watch of the surroundings. He’s learned to trust his gut and something about this feels off. Bucky sits casually at a back table watching Steve. The taller man can feel Bucky’s eyes on him and can’t help the smile that crosses his face even as the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He looks over to Coulson, who’s vigilant as ever. Sitting next to Bucky, Steve slides the coffee over and their hands brush. Steve huffs a quiet chuckle. “I feel like a goddamn teenager around you.”

Bucky laughs bright and cheerful. “I’ve been thinking about writing you love notes for weeks.” This causes Steve to bark a laugh. “We’re really bad at this.”

“I didn’t used to be, but you’re different.” Steve realizes what he just admitted and looks up to find Bucky giving him that soft smile that Steve hopes means what he wants it to. His hand slides over to Steve’s and links his pinky with Steve’s.

“Am I? Care to explain that?” He knows that Bucky is messing with him, but a few hours ago he had his tongue down the man’s throat, so he shrugs.

“I don’t really do dating or relationships because the work I do can be dangerous and sometimes I’m out of country for weeks at a time and it seemed unfair, but you, you make me want to throw all that away and be here.” Steve’s cheeks pink up at his admission.

“I would never ask you to do that. If you changed your life because you wanted to, fine, but don’t change it because you think it’s what I want.” The conversation is more serious than either of them intended. Steve glances around the coffee shop, but taking his attention away from Bucky is difficult.

“I’m going to fall for you, if I haven’t already. It’s going to be a lifelong thing for me, Buck.” He doesn’t look up, so he doesn’t see the look of surprise on Bucky’s face that he is willing to admit to any of this.

“I’ve already fallen for you, Steve. This isn’t something I’m playing around at. I’ve always wanted what my parents have and you’re it for me. Are you okay with that?” Steve’s eyes fly up to meet those smoky blues.

“Yeah…yeah, I want that.” He hears Coulson’s voice answering Wanda, who’s outside the café.

It all happens so fast after that, neither of them have time to think. Steve sees the hooded figure come into the store, he raises his hand to tap the com in his ear, Coulson is on his feet across the store before Steve has the chance to speak, Bucky sees the look of fear on Steve’s face. Steve throws himself between Bucky and the hooded man, then the loud clapping sound of a gun disturbs the silence. Steve feels the burning pain of a gunshot wound, having suffered others in the past. 

Bucky screams when Steve goes down. Blood pours from the wound in Steve’s chest as he lays on the ground, teeth gritted and looking at Bucky to see if he’s been hit. He grasps for his ankle, trying to plow through the pain to get to his backup gun.

Bucky falls to the floor grabbing Steve and pulling him into this lap. The hooded figure raises the gun again and there’s a shot from behind him then Steve raises the gun in his blood soaked hand putting another three bullets in the man’s chest. The last thing that Steve sees is the man going down. The last thing that Steve hears is Bucky crying his name over and over. He doesn’t want to go, but at least he had Bucky for a little while.

Steve comes to in intense pain and drugged fuzzy. Looking over, he sees Sam sitting in the chair next to his bed. “Sam?” It’s barely a wheeze, but Sam is on his feet in seconds. Steve tries to move, but winces at the flare of pain.

“Don’t try to move you moron.” Sam is smiling though and the door opens to admit Director Fury.

“Well Rogers, nice of you to join us.” Sam shoots him a look that has Fury raising an eyebrow, unaccustomed to someone giving him a ‘shut up’ look. “You’re off for the next three months and I better not see you anywhere near SHIELD until I have a doctor’s okay.” With that he leaves. Sam rolls his eyes wondering if Fury has been standing outside just waiting to come in and be dramatic.

“Bucky?” Steve can’t think of anything except his beautiful Bucky and whether or not he was hit too. Everything about that day is hazy.

“He’s fine. His mother and sister had to drag him out of here after the third day.” Sam chuckles. “If I know him though, he’ll be here within the hour.”

“How long?” Sam picks up the cup by the bed and helps Steve drink.

“Seven days. We were starting to get worried. Agent Coulson has been here every day checking on you to take information back to your boy.” Steve’s eyes widen. “Look man, you took one to the chest. You crashed on the way here and that boy of yours has been inconsolable for the last seven days.”

“Is he…”

“He’s fine man. You took the bullet meant for him and in his panic Rumlow hesitated. Between you and Coulson, he didn’t stand a chance in hell of getting to Barnes.” Sam sits back down and takes out his phone to text Coulson.

Steve closes his eyes, but opens them again when the door opens. “Agent Rogers, I’m Doctor Cho. You gave us quite the scare.” She moves around the bed checking readings. “And it isn’t every day that we have the President of the United States in here barking orders.”

Steve looks up confused. Sam starts to laugh and Cho joins him. “Yeah man, the big guy was telling everyone that if they didn’t save you, he’d have their jobs or their heads.”

“But…I…why?”

“All he had to see was the way his son looked at you and that’s all the man needed to know.”

Steve lays still while Cho checks him over and then closes his eyes to rest. Even the little moving around he was doing tired him out. He thinks he might be drifting off until the door opens again and he hears a soft, “Steve…”

Looking towards the door, he sees what he’s wanted to see. “Buck.”

The smaller man comes to the bed, leaning over so their foreheads touch. “Don’t do that again. Please don’t ever do that again.”

Five more days and many tests later, Steve is released from the hospital into Bucky’s care. Steve tried to fight him on it, but one look from the man of his dreams had Steve shutting up. Sam laughed all the way out of the hospital calling Steve whipped. He’d making a snarky retort, but he knows that Sam’s right and damn if it doesn’t feel good. Bucky hadn’t left the hospital since Steve woke up and Dr. Cho decided it was better to discharge the agent than keep dealing with his over-protective boyfriend.

Once settled back at Bucky’s, Steve sits in bed pouting. “Why can’t I get up?”

Bucky sticks his head in from the bathroom where he’s putting away Steve’s medications, and frowns. “Because you were shot in the chest and you will do exactly what I say until you can safely move around by yourself. Until then, you will stay in that bed. The only reason you are allowed to get up is to go to the bathroom and to shower.”

Steve grins at him. “Showering might be dangerous. I might get weak and fall.”

Bucky comes back into the room, smiling mischievously. “That’s why you won’t be showering alone, Agent Rogers.”

Bucky leans in, kissing Steve. “You’re the best nurse I’ve had through all of this.”

Bucky curls up on the bed, making sure not to hurt Steve in the process, but snuggling in next to him. Steve wraps an arm around him securely knowing that one wrong move and he could have lost Bucky forever. Bucky doesn’t move when the door opens and President Barnes walks in grinning. Steve struggles to try and get up. “Keep yourself in the bed, Agent.”

Bucky laughs. “You have to now. Your boss just gave you an order.”

President Barnes comes over joining his son laughing and sits next to the bed. “Mr. President, wha…”

President Barnes laughs at Steve’s flustered behavior. “I came to say thank you, Steve.” The use of Steve’s first name shocks the agent. “You saved my son and didn’t even consider the danger to yourself.” Steve blushes. “And I would say it was just you doing your job, but I think we both know it’s more than that.”

Steve looks down at Bucky who’s still snuggled up against him. “Yes sir, you would be right.”

The President smiles at the picture of his son and the man that finally stole his heart make cuddled in bed. “What would your ma think of all this, Steve?”

“I think she’d like Bucky more than she liked me.” Steve leans in, kissing Bucky’s forehead.

The President laughs brightly. “You saved him, right now I like you more than I like him.” 

There’s a light tap in the door and Coulson steps in. “Sir, I was asked to remind you that you have an appointment in an hour.”

President Barnes sighs. “The joys of being President mean that I can’t stay and bother you more.” He stands offering Steve his hand. “Welcome to the family, Steve. As soon as you’re up and about I expect to see you for dinner.”

“Thank you, sir.” The door clicks closed and Bucky sits up, straddling Steve, but not putting pressure on him.

“So, you going to stick around for awhile?” Bucky plays with the tail of Steve’s shirt.

“I told you at the beginning Bucky.” Bucky looks up. “With ya ‘til the end of the line.”

Leaning in, Bucky grazes Steve’s cheek with his lips. “’til the end of the line, Stevie.” 


End file.
